Wargaming on the console released the first earnable ‘Hero’ tank the aforementioned T54 ‘Motherland.’ I did struggle to earn it due to a few reasons, my max tier tanks where the T34 medium and the KV-1 heavy tank, after working towards the T54 I have realised that I don’t like any of the tanks I’ve played so far in the Russian lines. The closest I got to liking any Russian tanks where the Tank Destroyers the SU-85 etc. I don’t like derp guns…

The T 54 Motherland is a good-looking tank with a vibrant camouflage, it was a tank I was really interested in earning. I was worried I wouldn’t have time due to the whammy’s of moving into my new flat, decorating new flat and then going away for three days volunteering! But due to a surprise 7 day premium time, I was able to finish the grind early Monday morning. Which then gave me a few games in the T-54 before I crawled off to bed very tired and if not a little drunk as I was playing and drinking at the same time!

I started off my grind with the T 34 and T 28 medium tanks and the KV -1 heavy. I also unlocked the KV-1s then decided to work up through the Tank Destroyer line as I was not enjoying the heavy tanks. The TD’s where far more enjoyable and I progressed very quickly to get the Tier V TD. I did eventually unlock the Tier VI KV-2 which I have many a time been flying along in my Cromwell Knight only to be one shotted with its great big derp gun! I have not unlocked the 152mm derp gun as yet, but will no doubt try it out! I have been using the 122mm gun on the KV -1 and I just did not get on well with it though I can understand why people do enjoy it, there is something evilly gratifying about deleting someone from the game in one shot! I might have once or twice shouted ‘Boom! Head Shot.’

Родина

So the T 54, it’s a hero tank so it came with premium camouflage in a striking red, white and greys it also has a nice Emblem on the turret, a hammer and sickle in a red star with gold laurels. From what I’ve played about 20 matches so far I’m enjoying the tank. It’s fast and manoeuvrable with a low accuracy (to what im used to) and low penetration. It works well as a fast flanking/brawling medium where the lack of accuracy is not such a problem and getting in close and circling around enemy tank allows to shoot at weaker side and rear armour. With the Motherland been a premium tank, gold ammo can be used and still allow you to make a profit, though even firing Gold (APCR) ammo at the super heavy tanks will be a waste of ammo and silver. As it is a new tank everyone is playing and you often see matches with 7+ motherland tanks. Which is kind of amusing but hopefully this will settle down and normality will return to the top tiers.

I would compare the T 54 to the play style of the Cromwell Knight, with the brawling and flanking. Both tanks can bounce shots but their armour is nothing to shout about and it’s better not to rely on it at all. Both tanks are fast and can move around the battlefield, in the right hands can be used offensively to push through a hole in the enemies defences, or defensively to re-enforce a collapsing flank. Both tanks are fast enough to counter a light tank making a run for artillery at the beginning of the game. I have the T 54 set up with medium tank gun rammer, vents and gun laying drive where as my Cromwell is set up for scout duties with coated optics instead of gun laying drive. The tank came with a 100% crew so will be using this crew for a while before I expand further down the russian medium line. The first skill I am training is repair as im using this as a brawling tank, but I can see my skill progression will be repair/sixth sense, repair, camouflage/BIA, camouflage, Smooth ride, off-road driving, recon, situational awareness. I can see me using the tank as an active scout on open maps hence the view range skills. I am carrying a stock of 10 Gold ammo which is for those pesky Tier X games where you can’t seem to punch through the armour anywhere on a tier X tank. I will have to remember that I have gold ammo because I don’t use the stuff, I have a few tanks I carry it on but nearly always seem to forget to use it.

I’m very pleased I now have a Tier VIII premium tank to hopefully use as my silver earner, before this I would use my Knight( Tier VI), which I love playing to gain that silver/money. Earning the motherland has cost me a few million silver grinding up through a few lines of tanks but im sure over the long-term I can earn this back, it’s not like im cash poor at the moment, I have about 12 million silver in the bank and a lot of tanks with the removable equipment in, Camouflage net, Binoculars and toolbox. Overall a great gift from wargaming a Tier VIII premium with 100% crew and a free garage slot just for playing. I hope they do this kind of promotion again, for example replace the tier 10 medium british the FV 4202 with the Centurion Action X and make the old Tier X a Tier VIII premium after a slight nerf. Just an idea!!